No one can drop Sachin but it's the right decision: Ganguly

Mumbai: Sourav Ganguly, once part of the formidable opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in the limited overs format, today supported the latter's decision to retire from the ODI cricket but thought the senior India batsman would have played the series against Pakistan.

"I felt that he might have played the series against Pakistan. But it is his decision and I think it is the right. There was a doubt on whether he would play ODI cricket or not. But I am not surprised by his decision. He has done what he thought was right," said Ganguly.

The pair of Tendulkar and Ganguly scored 26 hundred-plus partnerships in ODIs. Of these, 21 century stands were for the opening wicket. Both of these happen to be world records.

Ganguly feels the time was right. AFP

He, along with Ganguly, had been involved in 38 hundred-plus partnerships in international cricket (all three forms combined) which is a world record. The 12,400 runs scored by this pair is also a world record.

Ganguly said no one from the national selectors could have asked Tendulkar to retire from the ODI cricket.

"I don't think there was any pressure of selectors on him. It is his own decision. No one can drop him," Ganguly added.

Tendulkar today announced his retirement from ODIs, bringing to an end a glorious 23-year-old career in the format during which he rewrote numerous batting records.

Tendulkar goes out after amassing 18,426 runs in 463 one-dayers at an average of 44.83. The diminutive right-hander has an astonishing 49 hundreds in the format, including a double hundred -- the first in this form of the game.